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Old 03-01-2017, 04:46 AM   #41
Raz
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There is a Coleman outlet store in Queensbury N.Y. (there must be others across the country). That's where I bought replacement hinges for my Extreme. Last fall I stopped in to buy a spare set and they had stainless steel hinges for a few bucks more. The salesman said the had other parts like handles as well. I mention this for those that own a Coleman Extreme and want to get a few more years out of it.
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Old 03-01-2017, 08:34 AM   #42
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Thanks

I think the Rtic is going to be my cooler of choice.

Scamp-
Rtic is the only roto molded cooler that we have owned, so I can't compare it to others, but it does a great job of keeping ice for a long time. We use the baskets to keep items out of the ice/water. I really like the idea of freezing the 3L hydration bladder.
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Old 03-01-2017, 06:00 PM   #43
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I have the large igloo Sportsman bought at Sams club over a year ago. When I go camping it goes in the back of my truck right behind the tailgate under a plastic bed cover. If drinks go in cold, one full layer of drinks then covered with bag ice things stay cold for the week. we go through a huge amount of bottled drinks. Its too heavy to move around when full but I think its a bargain in its field. This leave the fridge in the trailer for intimidate use. Everything in the big cooler must be able to swim for the duration of its stay. frozen food goes in double zip locked in industrial grade 4 mil bags.
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Old 03-02-2017, 06:44 PM   #44
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Cabela's Polar Cap Equalizer® Cooler | Cabela's Canada

Does anyone own a Cabela's? They are on sale this week so I think I'll grab one. I'm not sure about the dimensions. Are they inside or outside? I'm assuming outside. I'm not particularly close to a Cabelas to check.

EDIT: I see the coolers are not included in the sale. D'oh. Still curious about the dimensions.
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Old 03-02-2017, 09:49 PM   #45
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coolers

Try this link for a really good test of many coolers. Not a very scientific test but the results appear to be useful. Lee
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Old 03-03-2017, 02:43 PM   #46
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About those stainless hinge replacements...and other parts as well.



So what you do, is, you replace the plastic hinges with stainless.


Then you get the stainless handles and replace the plastic ones.

THEN you get the replacement top, yes, in stainless, bye-bye plastic top...


And THEN, at last, you replace the body of the cooler with, TA DA! Stainless. Now you own a stainless cooler. But really, it's still your original cooler.



Just like George Washington's axe. I have the ORIGINAL--of course, it's had 23 new heads and 57 new handles since George cut down the cherry tree...


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Old 03-03-2017, 07:36 PM   #47
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We haven't been happy with our current coolers (misc collection of Igloos and Colemans), experiencing too much interruption to our camping fun with runs to find ice. We spent significant time on the web reading various reviews to guide our decision on a replacement. A good review site was mentioned previously in this thread. Another one is Rating Scores - The Best Coolers - OutdoorGearLab.

The Coleman Xtreme was generally rated as the best of the moderately priced coolers. We ordered one but were disappointed when it arrived. The hinges were loose, the lid fit poorly, insulation thin in spots (Coleman's customers apparently think molded cupholders are more important than maintaining lid insulation). We returned it.

As someone else suggested - you get what you pay for. We decided maybe there is some true value-added with the premium coolers, expensive as they are. Based on the reviews, we went for an Orca. We haven't yet used it enough to comment on its performance, but it is very well constructed and we are confident. Customer service is great as well. We had a minor problem with the fit of the interior tray and 48 hours after calling Orca, we had a replacement delivered to our doorstep. The snow melted from around our Scamp this week - camping season can't be too far off. We'll soon put the Orca to the test.
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Old 03-03-2017, 07:44 PM   #48
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Been to Google and I still don't know what the advantage of a roto molded cooler is to the consumer. Has manufacturing advantages for certain applications, but what's it to me?
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Old 03-04-2017, 04:04 AM   #49
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About those stainless hinge replacements...and other parts as well.



So what you do, is, you replace the plastic hinges with stainless.
................



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Fifteen years, one set of hinges, $4. I stopped in to get a spare set just in case and spotted the stainless for $8. Everything else is original. It's just the right size and not too heavy. Fits nicely in the back of our small pick up.

But I do get your point.
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Old 03-04-2017, 07:16 AM   #50
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We have repaired the hinges on several inexpensive coolers with stainless steel piano hinge and self drilling screws.
Paying $200 for a roto molded cooler that is made in China doesn't sit well with me. Paying $400 for a roto molded cooler made in the USA doesn't float my boat either.
Everyone has their priorities , high end coolers are not one of mine .
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Old 03-04-2017, 08:17 AM   #51
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I'll confess to only recently learning that Yeti is a brand of high priced cooler. I've been seeing "Yeti" stickers on the Bubba trucks and wondered why there were so many Bigfoot enthusiasts around here. It's astonishing that folks would feel compelled to advertise the brand of ice cooler they prefer.
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Old 03-04-2017, 08:34 AM   #52
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I'll confess to only recently learning that Yeti is a brand of high priced cooler. I've been seeing "Yeti" stickers on the Bubba trucks and wondered why there were so many Bigfoot enthusiasts around here. It's astonishing that folks would feel compelled to advertise the brand of ice cooler they prefer.

Yes...makes about as much sense as wearing a tee that says, "Bum Equipment." what man wants to advertise THAT?

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Old 03-04-2017, 08:36 AM   #53
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I'll confess to only recently learning that Yeti is a brand of high priced cooler. I've been seeing "Yeti" stickers on the Bubba trucks and wondered why there were so many Bigfoot enthusiasts around here. It's astonishing that folks would feel compelled to advertise the brand of ice cooler they prefer.
Never owned or even know what a " Bubba" truck is , must be a regional thing . We often use stickers to cover up rust holes in our vehicles and in some cases use stickers to keep hunks of rusted metal from falling off our rear bumper . Just a thought , there is a practical use for just about anything .
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Old 03-04-2017, 10:14 AM   #54
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We have repaired the hinges on several inexpensive coolers with stainless steel piano hinge and self drilling screws.
Paying $200 for a roto molded cooler that is made in China doesn't sit well with me. Paying $400 for a roto molded cooler made in the USA doesn't float my boat either.
Everyone has their priorities , high end coolers are not one of mine .
Funny our Pelican is a product of the USA . Pat
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Old 03-04-2017, 10:45 AM   #55
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Been to Google and I still don't know what the advantage of a roto molded cooler is to the consumer. Has manufacturing advantages for certain applications, but what's it to me?
My understanding is that the insulation is much more evenly distributed. What I read when I was researching coolers is that with a cooler like a Coleman Xtreme, the insulation can be very uneven. So sometimes the actual cooler you happen to buy in the store matters more than what brand. You may unknowingly buy a cooler with a bunch of insulation sprayed in and clumped in one area, with very little to no insulation in another area. So it's kind of a crapshoot. Could get a great $40 cooler, could get a pretty crappy one.

Roto molded should mean high quality, evenly distributed insulation, and the roto molded coolers are built stronger.

I have a Coleman Xtreme. I really like it, but it won't hold ice 5 days in hot weather. I don't need it to. The hinges and lid fit are fine on mine, luckily. I sprayed expanding foam insulation into the cupholders in the lid. I agree, they're silly. 4 big round holes in the lid with no insulation.
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Old 03-04-2017, 10:50 AM   #56
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I try hard not to be an advertisement, but clearly it's a popular thing. Apple stickers, Yeti stickers, all the different outdoor good store stickers (Cabellas etc). If you put a cool looking sticker in the box, people will stick it somewhere. I've certainly been guilty of it in the past.

Just look at the "rocket boxes" on peoples cars and trucks, plastered with stickers, most of them for one company or another. It's a way to show identity, even if not the best way. I personally prefer to keep them guessing
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Old 03-04-2017, 11:18 AM   #57
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I try hard not to be an advertisement, but clearly it's a popular thing. Apple stickers, Yeti stickers, all the different outdoor good store stickers (Cabellas etc). If you put a cool looking sticker in the box, people will stick it somewhere. I've certainly been guilty of it in the past.

Just look at the "rocket boxes" on peoples cars and trucks, plastered with stickers, most of them for one company or another. It's a way to show identity, even if not the best way. I personally prefer to keep them guessing
A large local retail chain often sells T Shirts with their name emblazoned across the front for $2 ea with a $2 rebate . They are the perfect T shirt for painting , lawn mowing , working on the car or waxing the trailer. If someone happens to see their mobile ad plastered across my chest , I could care less.
I am not a proud person but I am CHEAP.
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Old 03-04-2017, 01:06 PM   #58
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... As someone else suggested - you get what you pay for. ....
I think that it would be more precise to say "you get what you buy".
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Old 03-04-2017, 02:01 PM   #59
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No stickers on my truck but I do have a lot of them from the public lands we've visited plastered on my Pelican and Ozark Trail coolers. Will that get me in the Bubba Club? I'd put em on the Yeti as well but I'm not certain my brother has completely forgotten I borrowed it a few years back.

No doubt a lot of the Yeti and other premium brand owners have them for the 'cool' (pun intended) factor but it would be a mistake to paint all of them/us with the yuppie brush. We still live on the family farm and most of my folks along with many of my neighbors are involved with agriculture. Check our trucks out and you'll likely find a high dollar cooler in the bed; not for the sticker but because we'd rather buy something just one time when possible.

Much of our camping, even in the southeast, is done in bear country where food, most coolers and cooking gear must be secured inside the camper or in your vehicle if bear boxes aren't available (and they seldom are). If we're lucky enough to get a reasonably knowledgeable ranger or host, http://igbconline.org/wp-content/upl...ducts_List.pdf certified coolers can be left outside which saves a lot of effort and is not an insignificant benefit at my age.

I suppose if we put enough effort into it, we can justify any of our possessions at least to our personal satisfaction. Durability and being able to leave the cooler(s) in the bed of the truck no matter where I camp are enough for me. Any ice savings is just a freebie. I'm satisfied with my steel hinged Coleman Extremes as well; just a different tool for a different job.
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Old 03-04-2017, 02:38 PM   #60
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I can only be so stubborn myself. Like you said, especially when it comes to "work" clothes.

The only place I typically use stickers is on my water bottles, so I can tell them apart from other people's I'm camping or working with.
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